Game devs starting to call out some of the *crazy* vitriol

[Maria Caliban]

Sorry to interrupt but what exactly is a game account? Something like ones Steam library?

For a number of multiplayer games, you can only access the MP content through an account.

 

For example, if you cheat in Mass Effect 3 MP, they can ban that account, but that doesn't impact your ability to play the SP game or post on the forums or play other EA MP games.

 

XBox One is *supposedly* going to be more aggressive in handing out Xbox Live bans to players who are frequently abusive or insulting to other players.

Edited July 28, 2013 by Maria Caliban

[Nonek]

Ah that would explain my ignorance then, thank you very much for the clarification.

[BruceVC]

 

Sorry to interrupt but what exactly is a game account? Something like ones Steam library?

XBox One is *supposedly* going to be more aggressive in handing out Xbox Live bans to players who are frequently abusive or insulting to other players.

 

 

That can't come soon enough, anything to reduce the rampant bigotry and unacceptable rudeness I support. Maybe people will actually start thinking before they comment and assuming there will be no consequences?

[WorstUsernameEver]

 

It's probably the best way to do so, so maybe calling out "these guys are being stupid" helps paint a light? Does it just make the devs seem like whiners? Should he just "suck it up?" (If so, why? Note, I *will* follow up with further questions if someone does feel this way) I think forums tend to self-police relatively well. They tend to have a hegemony that will push out overly contrary posts, doubly so if they are hostile.

Gamers that issue death threats should have their forum account permanently suspended and should have their game account banned for about a month.

 

Gamers that personally insult developers (suggesting you should have been aborted) should get a month long ban from the forums.

 

As this happened on twitter, I would suggest they pass it onto twitter and hope they do something about it.

 

Twitter doesn't care about rape threats. I doubt they care about angry teenagers ranting against Call of Duty developers.

[Walsingham]

 

 

It's probably the best way to do so, so maybe calling out "these guys are being stupid" helps paint a light? Does it just make the devs seem like whiners? Should he just "suck it up?" (If so, why? Note, I *will* follow up with further questions if someone does feel this way) I think forums tend to self-police relatively well. They tend to have a hegemony that will push out overly contrary posts, doubly so if they are hostile.

Gamers that issue death threats should have their forum account permanently suspended and should have their game account banned for about a month.

 

Gamers that personally insult developers (suggesting you should have been aborted) should get a month long ban from the forums.

 

As this happened on twitter, I would suggest they pass it onto twitter and hope they do something about it.

 

Twitter doesn't care about rape threats. I doubt they care about angry teenagers ranting against Call of Duty developers.

 

 

Er...

A man has been arrested after a feminist campaigner was deluged on Twitter with abuse and threats of rape, Scotland Yard has confirmed.

 

 

[WorstUsernameEver]

I see nothing in your quote that says Twitter acted on it, Wals.

[alanschu]

Indie game developer cancels sequel for their apparently well received game because of vocal internet idiot: http://kotaku.com/twitter-blowup-leads-to-sudden-cancellation-of-fez-ii-934548588

 

Ehhh.. couldn't the guy just put the wanker on ignore or something? Why oh why take anything so personally on internet of all places.

 

 

The circumstances regarding Phil Fish certainly resonate with this thread.  Although I do agree that there's a level of extremism that Fish's response has that a bit extra baffling.  While I think Beer's tirade was uncalled for, I'm surprised by Fish's response.

 

I like making games, and if I get annoyed with commentary on the internet, I'm certainly much more inclined to ignore said commentary and continue doing what I enjoy doing.  I assume Fish enjoyed doing what he did, so that he just rage quit is certainly unexpected.  Although if a guy IS getting fed up, and struggles to keep himself distant (for whatever reason), I suppose it's in his best interests to do so.

 

Still, is the idea of "he should just ignore it" really the ideal solution?  I don't know the full story (I can only assume that Fish needed more than JUST this account to explode the way he did).  Fish did post a clarification that he feels it's in his best interests to leave the game industry because he doesn't want to deal with the abuse anymore.  If this type of action CAN cause developers to feel they have had enough, are there things that we (as gamers) can do to help mitigate the excessive vitriol?  I'm not really a fan of fatalistic "there's nothing that can be done" approaches, and would be seriously disheartened if that actually turned out to be the case.

 

I've already noticed a lot of places just don't allow commenting in general (and there's actually research being done now to discern how comments can affect a reader's interpretation of the article).  Gaming did seem to survive relatively well long before the ease of providing feedback, so I'm not sure if it will do much to hurt the industry.  I know some here feels it compromises discussion, as well as feedback, but I am not sure.

 

For those that would comment on an article to provide feedback to the author, wouldn't emailing be sufficient?  Or is the audience more important?  The idea of not only providing feedback, but hopefully convincing others that see your point to agree with, and support you on it.

 

 

 

 

Gamers that personally insult developers (suggesting you should have been aborted) should get a month long ban from the forums.

 

I think this punishment is too mild.  Full on permanent ban since anyone saying that to another human being likely doesn't feel he's actually interacting with a human being, and frankly needs a reality check that while it sucks that he can't get out of Arl Howe's guard uniform, it's still just a video game.

[Walsingham]

I see nothing in your quote that says Twitter acted on it, Wals.

 

Point.

 

~

 

side: what the f*** is going on with the weather. rgnarok just broke loose!

[Guest Slinky]

Still, is the idea of "he should just ignore it" really the ideal solution?  I don't know the full story (I can only assume that Fish needed more than JUST this account to explode the way he did).  Fish did post a clarification that he feels it's in his best interests to leave the game industry because he doesn't want to deal with the abuse anymore.  If this type of action CAN cause developers to feel they have had enough, are there things that we (as gamers) can do to help mitigate the excessive vitriol?  I'm not really a fan of fatalistic "there's nothing that can be done" approaches, and would be seriously disheartened if that actually turned out to be the case.

I see it like this: no matter who you are, what you do or how you do it, there is ALWAYS people who think you do it so badly that it ruins their miserable lifes. That is simply a fact of life that cannot be changed. So what to do about it then? By not giving a single thought to these angry little men. Chances are they have bigger problems in their lifes if they are ready to threaten and abuse devs for ridiculous reasons. And if they dont have bigger problems, then they simply have a mixture of urine and excrement working as a substitute brain. And nobody should give a damn what they think.

 

Ignore features are your friends, use them and continue doing what you enjoy doing.

[Malcador]

He is an eccentric crazy artist. If he'd be a character in a movie people would like him

Well, seems he's not above being snarky and trollish to people so him whining about this is pretty rich. Top it off telling the guy that called you an **** to 'compare your life to mine and then kill yourself' is even a better lead to crying.

 

Hah, figures he's a Quebecer too.

Edited July 29, 2013 by Malcador

[babaganoosh13]

In related news:

 

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/07/29/2372851/twitter-rape-threats-policy/

 

Twitter is going to streamline reporting abusive tweets.

[Malcador]

In related news:

 

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/07/29/2372851/twitter-rape-threats-policy/

 

Twitter is going to streamline reporting abusive tweets.

People really flipped out over a campaign to get a woman on bank note ? Weird.

[Orogun01]

In related news:

 

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/07/29/2372851/twitter-rape-threats-policy/

 

Twitter is going to streamline reporting abusive tweets.

God I hate feminists.

[alanschu]

Unsurprisingly, some feedback in response to Phil Fish-Marcus Beer incident.

 

 

http://penny-arcade.com/report/article/swimming-in-a-sea-of-****-the-internets-war-against-creatives

http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/so-fez-ii/1100-4700/

 

 

CliffyB has is usual, goofy impressions as well haha: http://dudehugespeaks.tumblr.com/post/56805389679/dynamite-fishing-an-open-letter-to-phil-fish

[Amentep]

 

In related news:

 

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/07/29/2372851/twitter-rape-threats-policy/

 

Twitter is going to streamline reporting abusive tweets.

People really flipped out over a campaign to get a woman on bank note ? Weird.

 

I...don't get it either. What is the controversy about adding Austin to a bank note?

 

 

Unsurprisingly, some feedback in response to Phil Fish-Marcus Beer incident.

 

 

http://penny-arcade.com/report/article/swimming-in-a-sea-of-****-the-internets-war-against-creatives

http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/so-fez-ii/1100-4700/

 

 

CliffyB has is usual, goofy impressions as well haha: http://dudehugespeaks.tumblr.com/post/56805389679/dynamite-fishing-an-open-letter-to-phil-fish

Looking at that Giant Bomb post of what Beer said...well it looks to me like he expected an easy quote - "They’ve been on Indie Game: The Movie, and they’ll turn up and quote for anything and everyone" - didn't get it and decided to take it out on two people in public.

Edited July 29, 2013 by Amentep

[Malcador]

So Fish as a martyr then eh ?

 

Kuchera's article wasn't as hand-wringey as his usual stuff is - surprised RPS hasn't chimed in scolding people for being lesser and so on.

Edited July 29, 2013 by Malcador

[Amentep]

So Fish as a martyr then eh ?

Eh?

 

I'm not sure I'd say that, seems like there may be more to the problem than just one root cause.

Edited July 29, 2013 by Amentep

[alanschu]

I agree with your perspective, Amentep.  He was hoping for an easy quote, didn't get it, so he decided to go fishing (no pun intended even though it's an amazing one >.>) for a quote in a different way.

 

 

I guess his death threat is also a Futurama reference, so I'm a bit more willing to excuse the quote, although I'm not surprised that it got taken rather literally.

[Malcador]

Eh?

 

I'm not sure I'd say that, seems like there may be more to the problem than just one root cause.

Well, seeing a lot of people giving him that treatment. But regardless, getting a good laugh at his meltdown

[NOK222]

If you're a game developer, and you're name doesn't really stretch beyond gaming culture, you're not as big as you think. I just can't fathom the ego of people. 

[rjshae]

A lot of people rank on ego as a personality problem. What doesn't get mentioned as often is that ego is a terrific motivator.

[babaganoosh13]

 

In related news:

 

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/07/29/2372851/twitter-rape-threats-policy/

 

Twitter is going to streamline reporting abusive tweets.

People really flipped out over a campaign to get a woman on bank note ? Weird.

 

I was thinking of how this could relate to the COD guy and the threats of rape, murder ect he received to him and his family for the nerf to the sniper rifle.

[Orogun01]

If you're a game developer, and you're name doesn't really stretch beyond gaming culture, you're not as big as you think. I just can't fathom the ego of people. 

Just out of curiosity, how many game dev's names stretch beyond gaming?

[alanschu]

Maaaaaaaaaybe someone like John Carmack?

 

I suppose Chris Roberts might, as he has done some movie work as well.

 

 

I suspect not very many people, however, stretch beyond the gaming scene.  I'd be curious to know which ones DO think their names stretch beyond gaming.

[Gorth]

Richard Garriott? If nothing else, he was one of the few "space tourists" so far, paying the fare for an extra terrestrial trip.